He's a lawyer, and discusses like one too. If your vocabulary is weak and you're not too patient, dont take his class. He's very nice and pretty interesting, but he can drone on like there's no tomorrow using high faluting words.

Extremely well read, very helpful and challenges students to engage with the material. He is fairly verbose, but he speaks with such passion and enthusiasm that it comes across as unassuming, sort of like you are being preached to.

A History Prof with a law degree? Nice! Not really sure why he's looking to grab himself a doc in History, but the class is interesting. I would rather understand the events and then draw the meaning or ideas behind them myself, but that's just his style. A very helpful, very knowlegdeble and energetic instructor, although speculative at times.

He is VERY energetic and encourages students to come to him with problems. His lectures are very scattered and I always find myself zoning out. Nice guy though!

Andrew is a great teacher and he's so enthusiastic about what he's teaching. He is also very helpful and encourages questions.

At first, you might be overwhelmed by his overbearing passion and large vocabulary, but once you get over that, th class is pretty interesting. When he gets caught up about something, it's pretty funny. Only problem was his lack of organization and the fact that we got our midterm marks 3 months after.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Wender. This guy is just hysterical. He LOVES his students, and will work around whatever you need. (some jerks take advantage. . . ) His class was sometimes brutally repetative, but he has passion and knowledge galore. Definitely refreshing to see a prof loving life this much!

This man I love! Very excited about the material and you can tell he loves what he does. He spoke of Hobbes and the 'Mortal God' in my opinion, this man is THE MORTAL GOD. Very willing to help his students...also he has the largest arms of any professor I have ever seen. I think they are bigger than most people's thighs...

One of the most passionate professors I have had. Very reasonable with marking/expectations -- he rewards good ol' fashioned hard work. He makes his expectations/ideas very clear. Sometimes gets bogged down in 'business matters.' Overall, one of best professors I have had at UVIC. GOTTA love the chops and bodybuilder physique!

Andrew is a TOTALLY AWESOME prof! Going to lectures is like going to a concert--just without the overpriced t-shirts :) Ladies, you gotta see those arms!

Wender is an incredible prof, extremely passionate about the content with brilliant insights. I liked how he focused less on dates and particulars but rather on ideas and influencing thought currents in historical events. If given the opportunity, take his course!

This teacher saved my faith in UVIC. The course is interesting, the teacher is informative and passionate and the assignments are very fair. Wender is more then helpful, he goes above and beyond any teacher i have had so far.

He's a very passionate teacher but his knowledge in History is limited to the Middle East. Acknowledging that it is a first year 20th Cent. class there is a lot that Wender didn't cover or know about. It seemed the class knew more than he did. If you want real facts and depth go to another prof.

Andrew Wender is the most enthusiastic professor I have ever come across. His attitude makes learning fun, however sometimes his thoughts are hard to follow, and he encourages people to ask questions too often which sends him of on random tangents.

this guy is so energetic about his job it makes it far easier to learn and attend class. he was not too concerned with deadlines which is very helpful when having to deal with several other classes

Wender is by far the most entertaining teacher I have had. He was extremely helpful and lax on due dates. He will proofread your work with you even after the due date to ensure you get the mark you deserve. Altho, if you crave structure, this is not the prof for you, he can spend half a lecture on business or entertaining stories.

My favorite prof at uvic! Loves history and teaching and understands student do have other classes. Tends to get off track but his stories are always interesting and not included on the final. Take good notes in class and you'll never have to open your text.

Great prof, extremely nice. Very flexible on deadlines, makes the finals easy. Lectures were mostly class discussion. I didn't use the textbooks, but I took history 12, basically the same stuff. 5 assignments and 2 finals all year. Extremely great prof, recommended.

Best professor ever. You wouldn't think it by just looking at him (i.e. Metallica T-shirts, mutton chops and huge biceps) but this man is brilliant, passionate and very dedicated to his students. The kind of professor you are likely to keep contact with after graduating.

One of my first profs at UVic and man was I happy to have him. Corny as it sounds, I couldn't wait to have history on mondays and thursdays. He may be slow at returning assignments and get off track, but this man's passion for history is the part of the reason why it's now my major.

A solid professor.

Andrew takes is unlike many sessional profs: he takes his job seriously. He will not bore you with stories about his upcoming books and scholarly collaborations. He is a solid prof. who makes political theory exciting and relevant. I strongly recommend him even for those who are not political junkies(aka nerds).

there's a reason this guy has a facebook fan club. a really fun prof who genuinely cares whether or not you get the material. super helpful and supportive outside class (especially with essays!), great in class discussions. solid, solid prof, if you like history, you'll love this guy.

Looks like a super-buff version of bubbles. Make sure to bring asprin to class because he is really loud and super-enthusiastic. Overall I really like him. Lectures were full of energy and I found him very helpful both in and outside of class.

Prof Wender is the best!!! I convinced my friend to drop his prof and come over to my History class. Seriously a wicked awesome guy! Super enthusiastic and informative.

Absolute best professor at this school. They would be stupid not to offer him tenure. You'll never find someone who cares this much about their students!!

this class was incredibly engaging, giving me a new perspective through which to view international politics. His lectures are extremely engaging. The man is working on a scholarly piece about the implicit religion in the heavy metal scene. He even threw up the horns as he talked about this to us. great guy, take this class!

hands down one of the best profs at UVIC. Very compassionate and funny and actually cares about his students! Makes poli sci interesting

The best prof at Uvic!!!! so nice and really easy...he will do anything for his students..love him!!...really really recommend taking his class...he's actually enthusiastic and excited about what he teaches..it comes through a lot

brilliant! so helpful - tries to learn everyone's name and will spend loads of time and effort helping you out if you make the effort to attend his office hours! if you want a good mark on his paper - make sure you go see him to review your draft - he is picky on editing

Dr. Wender is an awesome person, but not always the best teacher. A little unorganized at times, and he tends to mark fairly hard on papers. However, if you go to see him he is always willing to help . Overall, I would recommend his class.

An AWESOME person!! super friendly, very flexible about due dates, cares A LOT about his students (he tries to remember everypne's name!), and so ENEGERIC! He's sooo buff (I think he's a body-biulder)and always drinks an apple juice in class. LOL Totally recommended!

I was very excited to see Dr. Wender's class and signed up for it immediately. His über-energy is ideal for an 8:30 class. The guy can make anything interesting. Have a look at his doctoral thesis... it's HUGE but it gives you a good insight into his passions, which he shows in class every day. Take a class with him if you get the chance!

By far one of the greatest professors that I have ever had, he comes into class with a smile on every day and his energy is infectious, he is extremely knowledgeable and encourages all students to ask questions. If you have a chance to take his course TAKE IT! You will not regret your decision, and on top of all that chances are you may see him at

A great way to wake up! Besides really knowing his stuff and being very passionate about it, he is extremely helpful. I went through a horrible term and he was so patient with me and offered help when I needed it. I think he also took my state into account for grading papers, because, man...I shouldn't have gotten what I did. Thanks, man. You rock.

Andrew is a very enthusiastic prof who knows pretty much every aspect of the material. Nice guy recommend him to everyone. Things to be aware of: it is easy to get an average grade in his class but tough to get to the A level, also his comments on your papers are extremely difficult to read and sometimes dont really make sense. makes the course fun

Amazing energy and passion for his students and what he teaches. Approachable and makes time for you for help or just to chat. By far one of the best profs I have ever had. Make sure your grammer in you paper is airtight.

Wender is the kind of professors other professors should look up to- he genuinely cares about his stufdents and will do WHATEVER it takes to help you reach your academic goals. He also raises the bar in that he takes the time to get to know you as more than just a student- he takes your other commitments into consideration as well!

Wender is the MAN! he is the nicest, most approachable professors I have ever experienced. If I was history I would take more courses. Not only is this guy a sweet metal head, hes extremely intellectual which is a refreshing departure from the superiority complexed teachers I have had! Wender for cest prof

Great prof! He's really clear and really friendly and approachable. He tends to be a little tedious to listen to... try to keep focused though! He really knows his stuff, and is totally laid back if you need extensions or anything. Be prepared to wait a long time to get your grades and papers back though.

Wender is a great guy & his door is always open,however, he gives hard papers that don't have a clear criteria and then marks difficult, he also focuses on contemporary history all too much while disregarding students knowledge of actual history. Also he whenever we ask him deep quesitons,hejust says he cant answer them and to ask somebody else.

most enthusiastic teacher ever! he understands all the stresses everybody is going through and will always give extensions if needed!

Doctor Wender is an awesome professor, and his 20th century history class is amazing! He's incredibly enthusiastic, helpful, a fair marker, and wants to help you understand the course material. I've never been more interested by the Middle East!! Hard but fair paper marker, easier on exams. Put the work in, and you'll get the mark you deserve. :D

I LOVE THIS GUY. He's so nice and he is always willing to help you out. While it's hard to get an A or A+, I found it super easy to get an average grade. If you go talk to him in office hours and attend class, you'll do well. His lectures are very engaging and he's very nice about extensions. One of the best profs at UVic. TAKE his class!

Legend

Best prof Ive ever had. Not only is he passionate throughout his lectures, he is willing to go out of his way to help u and genuinely cares about his students a great deal. You feel engaged and want to learn. Great guy, funny, awesome personalty, buff and knows every students name. Looking for a great prof, take him. UVIC needs more profs like him

Wender is very passionate, interesting and helpful BUT he will lecture all class without writing anything on the board, and he always seems to be talking about what he is going to talk about. You could rely on the text, but it is so dry as to be literally unreadable. As great as he is, I wish I hadnt taken the course :(

Ur an idiot if you don't like this professor. Pure and simple.

Really nice dude, always available to help you out on anything related to the course. 2 essays and 1 final which isnt too bad as he basically gives you the final questions. If you put some time into the essay and let him proof read it then you will get a good mark. Lectures can be a little off topic though but highly recommend taking poli with him

Wender is AMAZING. He is the reason why I will continue to take History classes. He is a gifted lecturer who can captivate an audience and speak from great knowledge right off the top of his head. All assignments are marked by both a TA and him PERSONALLY, which the final grade given at his own discretion. Top notch prof.

A really great prof, passionate about his subject. Will spend the entire 120min talking, though sometimes talks in circles, and note taking is really difficult. Love his passion and love the topic, though I truly regret taking this course.

the most amazing prof, and one of the most amazing people, I have ever met. His knowledge is endless, but he is humble and modest. He has the utmost respect for his students and will do anything to help them succeed. If you leave school without ever having taken a class with him, you have truly missed out. Simply a fascinating prof. the best.

Andrew Wender is God incarnate. He captivates the entire class with his unflaggingly passionate oration and brings history alive! He doesn't need notes, or power points or any visual aids. All professors ought to be like him, Dr. Wender truly makes going to class enjoyable and worth it. Wender is just inspirational.

Dr. Wender taught the Buddhist section of this course, a topic I had next to no knowledge about, and I left the first lecture with a head full of new information. He is an actual teacher! I really recommend his office hours, he's very helpful + supportive, and overall a great person to chat to. There's a lot of material, but it's really interesting

You are undeniably missing out if you haven't registered for his courses. Knows absolutely everything.

Wender is a good prof that is super helpful. If you are looking to get in the 80s then good luck because while he is an interesting guy that is super enthusiastic about the subject, his marking style is way too hard to decipher. Easy B, but super hard to get higher than that.

I sat his class in 2011. I have to say he is possibly one of the best Proff's I've ever had. An excellent guy who is not too harsh a marker but likes you to fully grasp the course. As long as you prove your dedication to your studies you will be rewarded well. Great lectures and communicational skills and will spend great lengths of time with you.

One of the best profs UVIC has to offer. He is a GOD! Know's absolutely everything, most genuine person I have ever met, and overall amazing. Won the award for "Excellence in Teaching", well deserved, Dr. Wender :)

Absolutely a pleasure to be in his class. He is respectful, appreciative, sincere, passionate, and probably one of the best proff's I have ever had in my 4 years of university. You will not leave any of his lectures not feeling completely engaged in the material. He knows his stuff, and does everything he can to share it with his students.

He's the reason I majored in Poli Sci after taking a class with him last semester. A UVic god!

Charismatic prof with a great style of lecturing. Does an interesting and engaging class off book without powerpoints so sit up close and take notes! Very likeable guy who can give a little leeway in terms of due dates. TAKE THIS PROF! He won an award for excellence for a reason.

Amazing prof, never needed to use notes in his lectures. Definitely knew what he was covering inside and out, he also goes out of his way to make himself available to students, which is why I could not recommend Wender highly enough.

He's a great speaker and makes you excited about the subject, which is saying something since it is quite dry. There are A LOT of dense readings but complete understanding is not necessary for a good mark. Keeping up with his rants is impossible but show up as he drops important gems which will help with final. Go to exam prep he gives all answers.

Probably the most intelligent, humble and helpful professor I've ever had. His ability to lecture is astounding, and he's eager to help you with every aspect of the course. I found it necessary to go all lectures and do the majority of the readings, but it paid off with a high mark. Highly recommend Wender.

He was the best prof I had. Although nothing is online so you can't miss a class, you don't want to because he is so interesting to listen to. So polite and helpful, he understands the pressures you are under and is willing to give you a break! Such an amazing prof.

Dr. Wender was such a passionate and interesting professor. I HIGHLY recommend taking one of his classes, although an easy A is not possible. You have to put in a lot of work, but he makes it very interesting and is so humble considering his wealth of knowledge. He also went into detail about what would be on exams, so you know what to study.

Wender was great! You really need to go to class to get a good grade though because he tests right out of the lecture and has no pwp slides at all. However he's the most passionate teacher I've met and very enthusiastic about helping students. Defs the nicest/sweetest prof I've ever had! GO SEE HIM AT OFFICE HOURS! He's great!

I think you do need to read a lot outside of the class in order to fully understand what he teaches in class. You also need basic knowledge about religion and prominent political thinkers and ideologies before going to class. Especially for the paper, he's looking for creative, analytical work which includes thoughtful ideas & good writing style.

Andrew was an amazing professor. Extremely passionate and relates the course material to current world events. Approachable and helpful during office hours, ask for tips on your essays and he will happily give you advice which will raise your grade considerably. Unnecessary to read all material, but they help during exams. Highly recommend.

If you are a History student at UVic, taking a class with Wender is a right of passage; his clarity and recommendations for papers make students better writers. He breeds an environment of free opinion in his classes. Be prepared to listen very closely as he lectures though, he doesn't put full notes on the board.

He has great enthusiasm for the topic in this course and creates a friendly, open learning environment for lectures. But often he is vague and expects outside knowledge that many do not have. There might as well not be a syllabus, and with four different course books, you'll be reading every night. Classimportant, powerpoint notes are NOT online.

Dr. Wender created a very open environment during his classes and dedicated most of class time to discussions that furthers your knowledge outside the course syllabus. He assigns 4 books in this course, but it's not important to thoroughly know all of them. You'll need to adjust to his teaching style to get through the course, but it's worth it!

Great prof. Very effective lecturer. There was no exam for this particular course, only an essay and a presentation on what you decided to reasearch. Coming to class for the lectures was most definifely optional.

This prof has a different lecture style, an improved lecture style. His knowledge about religion and politics shows in his lecture, but also his enthusiasm and want of others to show the same. You need to show up for this class, and you need need to skim the mannnny readings. I would go out of my way to get this prof again. Do it!

Wender is really helpful and a super nice guy. 202 has a tonne of reading so its good to try and keep up. Try to attend lectures but if you miss a few make sure you still do the readings. Papers and tests were marked hard, but the exam was straightforward.

If you read, you'll get a B or better. If you go to office hours for greater clarity, you might walk away with an A- or better.

The best prof at UVIC. Dr. Wender is an extemely nice person and is very helpful. As for the course it is not too hard; however, it is a team taught course and that was a little strange and made it a bit more difficult.

I absolutely love Dr. Wender! not the easiest class but his passion and enthusiasm for the class is palpable! Definitely recommend.

Best Prof at Uvic hands down. Amazing Lectures.

POLI103 was basically organized by Wender, but course content was composed of lectures from 3 other profs. I liked Dr. Bonner the best out of the guest lecturers, but really enjoy lectures given by Wender because he's super eloquent and energetic! A very knowledgable and patient guy.

Wender himself is a great prof, very caring and really enthusiastic about what he teaches. Be warned though he does ramble sometimes and he spends a lot of time answering people's questions, which may slow down the material.

Wender was an excellent lecturer and discussion leader in 4th year history and 1st year Poli. Wonderful and polite guy who genuinely cares about his students and will do anything to help them succeed. Be prepared to do a fair amount of writing and reading, and visiting him in office hours is recommended!

I loved Dr. Wender as a prof but was more than disappointed by the actual class (POLI 103). Dr. Wender is the course coordinator, who brings in 3 other lecturers and only does a few guest lectures himself. All 3 of the other professors were pretty awful in my opinion, and it made me not want to go to class. Wender himself is a very engaging prof!

Wender is not easy, but go to his office hours and he is extremely helpful. He is also really respectful of his students, in his class there are (actually) no stupid questions. p.s. You probably wont do very well if you skip class, but his lectures are worth going to. Definitely one of my favourite profs.

Hilarious, up to date prof who respects and invites student opinions and questions. Lectures are engaging , but he is a very tough grader, so don't miss lectures if you hope to pass. He does invite other experts to speak often, who aren't always so good, and taking in depth notes is much more important than the slides. It moves fast, so keep up.

My advice is only take his class if you are interested at the material. He is a solid prof but have a tendency of being too into what his teaching as he lectures and seem to be in his own world. Lots of reading and writing, definitely not a course for elective (unless you are interested).

Probably one of the nicest profs at UVic. He seems to be really motivated on the topics he is teaching and conveys them in a manor that gets you interested. Although he does sometimes unnecessarily use "big words" that can be confusing to understand at times.

Dr. Wender was fantastic! He was engaging and really knows what he is talking about. His classes are heavy in content, and he speaks for the whole time so notes on a computer was necessary. The course was very heavy in reading material, as he assigned 3 books to read, however they are relevant and interesting enough. Great class and great guy!!

Super nice guy. Astounding teaching ability. The only negatives I'd say are that his tests are super difficult and the way he conducted the course I was in with him was kind of all over the place. Other than those two flaws I would highly recommend taking one of his courses

Awesome prof. He always shows his enthusiasm during lectures. Very respectful. Lots of reading and essays. Dont take this course for elective

Andrew Wender was a nice guy and caring prof. His expectations were clear for the assignments but there was only 3 papers, a mid-term and a final. He is very articulate and certainly knows his stuff but he can tend to go on long tangents. The assigned readings were heavy but I didn't do them and got away with an 80% Also he has giant arms.

He'll do a stellar job introducing material which may seem unfamiliar and sincerely appreciates discussions. You will have to do a lot of reading, he's also a little tough as a marker but is a great lecturer nonetheless. Most noticeable about Dr. Wender is that he is completely respectful of everyone, the most courteous prof I've had at Uvic.

Dr. Wender is a great prof! He knows what he's taking about and clearly emphasizes concepts you should know. He repeats the main ideas many times, and is really easy to understand. He speaks really loudly and clearly, which is helpful. I'd say the only downside is that he lets specific students contribute too much.

Wender was very enthusiastic. Did not even get the best mark in his class, but the content was very interesting and he clearly loves it. The midterm destroyed me, and the papers were difficult, but if you want a good history class I would definitely suggest this class and this professor.

This was an easy class and Andrew was a good lecturer. Had to write three papers that were pretty explanatory and easy, a midterm, and a final. We were told what to study for both the midterm and final which was nice. Overall, a decent course.

Wender is a gem. He's so sweet and I found his longing for intellectual stimulation to be so fascinating. Besides the point, in POLI 103, I found non-poli sci majors to be struggling quite a bit. For me it was one of the easiest classes because everything seemed pretty straight forward and common knowledge. I also got lucky because my TA was great!

Dr. Wender was a good professor. He is a very dramatic person so his lectures are super easy to follow along and super engaging. He is very helpful in answering any questions and engaging with the class. His lecture slides are dense so make sure to write/type quickly. Quite a few opportunities to get graded on. Good experience overall!

Wender is a phenomenal prof, and knows his stuff. He is very good at answering questions, and respectful of everyone in the class. But the reading, good lord the readings. We had to read something like four books. His midterms and finals are also excruciating.

Super friendly, flexible, and respectful prof. Engaging lectures, quite a few papers and tons of reading

Excellent teaching style, incredibly helpful and willing to engage with students.

Such a happy dude. One of my favorite Profs at UVIC. He is a tough grader though.

He's the man

He's an amazing person, some of the lectures in the start were just a bit to history/philosophy heavy

Wender was clearly excited about what he was teaching! While he got off-topic, I still found his insights interesting. Mostly, I would blame a few people in the class who made unnecessary comments - as Wender never dismissed a raised hand. Grading felt pretty fair though the grading criteria could have been clearer, and I wanted more comments.

Hard class but nice guy makes it worth it

LOTS of tangents in lectures (only marginally related to the broader topic) but Wender was very entertaining and passionate about the subject while being easily accessible after class. I did genuinely enjoy his class and learned a lot, beware that the beginning (until the midterm) is VERY abstract and theory heavy for an introductory course.

You will never meet a nicer, more understanding, or more passionate prof. He truly cares about his students and loves his job. That being said, be warned, his lectures are very hard to follow. He tends to forget that he's talking to students and not fellow PHD-having academics. But his courses are paper-heavy, not test-heavy, so it is manageable

Professor Wender brings a lot of energy and passion to the lectures, though he does tend to go on tangents. Engaging with the course material and using resources like unstuck study for study prep can really help. Overall, an interesting class.

Dr. Wender is a really interesting prof! He is knowledgeable and really engaging, but it can be hard to "follow along" with his lectures. A wonderful man who respects students but he can be quite hard to please and the feedback is minimal, papers were expected to be prophetic! HSTR 100 was A LOT of reading but the lectures were great. Try his class